Would I be a fool to get out of the military?

[ironheadjack]

If you don't have a guaranteed job for when you get out, I would seriously look into re-upping. The job market is brutal, health care is all screwed up, if you don't have something positive on the other side of the fence, then stick with the guaranteed paycheck. If you don't like your MOS or duty station, try putting in a request for change, might not work but it's worth a shot.

[lprstn]

Personally, before you decide to get out, you need to position yourself to support yourself with a job at hand. Most people I know that spend their time in the military without lining up a job, of socking away some savings to buffer them end up shell shocked with trying to adjust without some sort of income. If your spouse had a viable job you could both support yourselves on while you find something than maybe it could work. Try looking for a job, interviewing, seeing how the market is for your skills before you jump out. Otherwise another 4 years may be what you need to get better prepared.

[scorched]

Difficult decision, however there are ways to know if you can live on the outside. I did my 4 years and bolted, and I have had a great life because it.
When I left I was a 2A352B, F-117A avionics, not as much "pull" as you have with the 3D0X4 in the IT world, but I made the best of it.
My advise is do this, hit Job Search | one search. all jobs. Indeed.com, type in battle creek for the area, and list the number one skill your best at. See what the pay scales are, see if it fits what you want to do.
So for example i typed in cyber system as an overall for you and found 60 jobs close by:
Cyber Systems Jobs, Employment in Battle Creek, MI | Indeed.com

get a feel for if these are the right jobs and go ahead an apply, don't wait. Tell them your considering separating and looking for options. I had a job offer in hand before I departed the AF, moved home, took a couple weeks to get settled then walked in monday morning to my new life as a civilian. I still carry my TS, and I still occasionally do work for the DoD.

Look for defense contractors like Lockheed, Northrup Grummon, General Dynamics, they will offer some pretty good options for surrounding base support.
Regardless of the sequestration there are plenty of IT jobs to be had.

Hope this helps, PM me if your interested in moving to the DC area I can help.

[soliloquy]

I honestly wouldn't get out until you have your Bachelor's degree in hand. That way you can use your GI Bill for a Master's and a possible Doctorates...
COSC, EC and TESC make it really easy for Sailors, Soldiers, Marines and Civilians in Uniform finish up a degree on TA and later on the GI Bill when you are out.

To be honest with you I wish I had gotten out sooner (I got out after 16 years without a degree). If I had to do it all over again, I would have finished my degree while I was in and got out after my 6 year term was up...

Not to be rude but why didn't you just stay in 4 more years so you could meet your 20 and retire?

[CatDogMeowMeow]

I feel like I just need to vent a little, but this is a serious question of mine. This month I enter the home stretch of my 4 year enlistment in the Air Force. With 6 months to go I am scrambling each day trying to determine my options, and tossing and turning each night weighing the pros and cons. I don't see myself doing 20 years, but with over 1/3 of Americans not in the work force I need to decide what would be best for my wife and I. Luckily we don't have any children yet, so that provides a certain amount of freedom.

On one hand:
We'd love to go back to Michigan and be closer to our families, and I'd like to finish my degree at CMU.

On the other:
I love the gauranteed paycheck and the free health coverage.

It's not that I dislike my job, I'm just not a big fan of the military lifestyle. Also, I'm seeing retraining applications being canceled left and right so if I stay in I'd likely be stuck here.

I thought about Palace Fronting to Air Guard to get the best of both worlds, but that depends on if there is a job opening in Battle Creek, MI that I wouldn't mind doing. Right now there is a Finance job open that I would love! But...who knows if that will be an option in 6 months.

So the question remains: Would I be a fool to give up a guaranteed paycheck to try my chances on the outside?

Luckily my job allows a certain amount of downtime for studying, and CLEPs/DSSTs are my escape from the difficult decisions that lie ahead...

Well here you happen to be at the end of your enlistment. Honestly this is the reason why I signed for 6 years, because I know 4 years would be too short and id be at this crossroads. Doing another 4 isn't going to hurt at all, honestly you'll probably gain a lot more experience that way as well and be better off in the civilian world. I'd either reenlist and deal with the long hours required to go back to school and working full time, which will look better in the long run, or go guard. But I do not recommend getting out completely just yet. LOOK HERE 3DX GUY, I have a friend who was also in the 3DX field here, did a couple years, got discharged early for being a dirtbag when rollbacks came around, and got a job offer immediately upon his general discharge as an E-2 making $75,000 a year. Jobs are out there for you guys.

[dposborne]

Not to be rude but why didn't you just stay in 4 more years so you could meet your 20 and retire?

Sorry for the late reply. I got out after 16 years because being in the Navy really isn't easy to deal with when you have a family. The deployments started getting longer and the fact that I was under water for most of them really did't sit well with me. I had actually missed my first and second born growing up through the toddler years and I didn't want that for my other 2 children. So now I'm out without a single regret, great job and collecting more in disability than I would have in retirement anyways...

[jmeitrem]

Hey, just thought I'd update you guys on my situation. I'm now less than 4 months from my projected separation date and still haven't made up my mind 100%. It seems like the more research I do, the more questions and concerns arise. There are many doors open to me at the moment, and I'm trying not to burn any bridges as I try to decide. I have been medically approved for Palace Front and there are a couple of good cyber jobs open at the Guard base. I have recently found out that a 1 year extension to my AD enlistment is available to me as well. I've been following USAJOBS, Indeed.com, and my tribes website for good job openings and there are a couple that interested me. My situation has changed a bit since December though. I was planning on living minimally and scraping by while I finish a degree at a B&M back home, but we found out recently that our first child will show up in August! Because of this, I am leaning toward the 1 year extension for now since having a baby while active is preferable. I would run the risk of a deployment this fall, but our finances would be in much better order. One more year would also give me more time to finish a degree at one of the big 3 and finish all of the CLEP/DSST's. I've been testing like crazy trying to finish all 70 before June, but I still have 14 left...and I saved the worst for last. I know it's a pointless endeavor that will be mostly useless, but I just love the challenge and it keeps me busy at work (not to mention gets me out of work when testing).

Here's the ones I have left:
AMERICAN LITERATURE
CHEMISTRY
ENGLISH LITERATURE
FINANCIAL ACCOUNTING

A HISTORY OF THE VIETNAM WAR
INTRODUCTION TO MODERN MIDDLE EAST
MONEY AND BANKING
PRINCIPLES OF FINANCE
PRINCIPLES OF FINANCIAL ACCOUNTING
PRINCIPLES OF PUBLIC SPEAKING
PRINCIPLES OF STATISTICS
RISE AND FALL OF THE SOVIET UNION
THE CIVIL WAR AND RECONSTRUCTION
WESTERN EUROPE SINCE 1945

Thanks for all the advice, I am so glad I found this site a year ago! I'll keep you posted!

[UptonSinclair]

A one year extension seems like the best of both worlds. It will give you more time to think about what you want to do. Good luck to you whatever you decide. You and your wife are the only people who know what is best for your situation. Congrats on the baby as well.

[dewisant]

I wish I had never gotten out. I was USAF from 1982-86 and was stationed in West Germany for most of my enlistment. Not very tough duty all around. Ever since I got out I have missed it. I have worked for the same company ever since and I have been paid very well indeed. So it has worked out for me, maybe it would have worked out better if I had gone to 2002 and then done some job shopping with the retirement check coming in, I don't know. I can take early retirement in just over 3 years now and I will just so I can do something else. Staying in is probably better that getting out simply because you can more on a resume because of it. Best of luck.

[LaterBloomer]

When I was in the Army, I was told that your last deployment was bad, this one was worse, and your next would be the best. I also suspect that hindsight, in addition to being 20/20, has rose-colored glasses. Why? I only vaguely recall how miserable I was in the Army (single, lower-enlisted), but now think, "Wow, if I had stayed in, I'd be retired, getting a pension, good insurance, and able to use lots of military facilities."

The economy is bad, and I can't help thinking that in Michigan it must be worse.